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Sunday, November 7, 2010

I've decided that when its Sarah's turn to choose for Project Pastry Queen, she goes big. Her first choice was the 7th Heaven Chocolate Truffle Cake, and this time she chose the Larger Than Life Praline Cheesecake.

If there is anything I hate, its a short cheesecake. They just look so puny and sad. I like for my cheesecake to have some height, and this one certainly does. Another thing this cheesecake has going for it is outstanding flavor. Nice and pumpkiny, with lots of great spice. I also love the gingersnap crust, and the praline topping just puts the whole thing over the top. I stayed pretty true to the original recipe, but I added a few tablespoons of bourbon. As far as I'm concerned, adding bourbon is always a good idea.

My friend Michelle had us over for dinner last week, and I offered to bring dessert. When I suggested pumpkin cheesecake, her response was "Yes, Please!" We all really enjoyed this, even my pumpkin-hating husband (seriously, who is he?). Michelle's husband said the flavor was very sophisticated, and I'd agree. Its a great balance between the spice of the crust, light texture of the cheesecake, and the sweet praline topping. I left the remaining dessert at their house in order to avoid any problems with self-control, and sure enough, the next day I immensely regretted it.

Check out Sarah's post over at 20 Something Cupcakes for the full recipe, and I highly suggest adding a splash (or 4) of bourbon to the cheesecake batter. See you next week for biscotti!

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